Following his Oscars-hosting gig, James Franco already has another project lined up: The all-over actor is collaborating with rockers R.E.M.

The music group recently announced the Collapse Into Now Film Project, a selection of films personally curated by lead singer Michael Stipe that will accompany each song on R.E.M's upcoming "Collapse Into Now" album.

Franco will direct films for "That Someone Is You" and "Blue," and conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles are among the other directors participating in the project.

"I went to people I really wanted to work with and I could trust them to do whatever they wanted. They had absolute free rein. In many instances I was surprised, in many instances I got what I wanted," Stipe told NME.com. "It was really fun for me to curate, working with all these different artists, and seeing how they interpreted the songs. The thing that was surprising is how much they interlockingly work, like an album."

"Collapse Into Now" is set for release March 8. Three of the films are already available for viewing, with more to come over the course of the next several weeks.

What WAS wrong with Franco Oscar night? I have always liked him and love what all he is accomplishing from directing to writing to getting his PHd, it is all to be commended, but I was SO disappointed in his demeanor at the Oscars. He was like a lump, he just stood there not doing anything, looking either bored or petrified, I could not decide which. Poor Anne was carrying the show herself, I felt so sorry for her. Why didn't Franco have FUN and joke around and be silly? They could have had some great skits, I was just shocked at how bad and boring he was, and I'm a fan. A chance of a lifetime and he blew it. Why?

R.EM. still trying new stuff. How many other artists are that brave? All you wanna-be's, take note. Don't conform to what the Media Machine expects from you, or you'll suck like everyone else who cares more about sales than music.